Grandma’s Opening Question: “Tootie found a nest in the azalea bushes and a different nest way up in the pecan tree. Same yard — why two different places?”
Discussion Questions
- If you were a bird, what three things would you need your home to have?
- Why would a woodpecker choose a pecan tree but a mockingbird might choose a shrub?
- What would happen to a bird that built its nest on the ground? What animals would it have to worry about?
- If you could design the perfect backyard for birds, what would you put in it? What would you leave out?
- Do you think birds in cities have the same choices as birds in a North Louisiana backyard? What’s different?
- Grandma has azalea bushes, two pecan trees, and a clothesline. Name one bird that might use each one and why.
Teacher Notes
Use the TBY yard map as a visual anchor. The pecan trees (Wilson’s Workshop), azaleas (near the back steps), and creek edge (Wilder Edge) all support different bird communities. The clothesline bird is almost always a Scissor-tailed Flycatcher or Eastern Kingbird — both use exposed perches to hunt flying insects.